グレッチョ周辺のアトラクション＆必見スポット - トップ20

A stop at Piediluco Lake is highly recommended!

Sanctuary of Grecchio, one of the four shrines of St. Francis around Rieti Valley. Here, Francis depicted the Christmas story with living figures to help the local farmers understand it. Since then, setting up a nativity scene at Christmas has been a custom throughout most of the Christian world. Grecchio is a very special place

Lago di Piediluco / Lake Piediluco Located in the southeastern foothills of Umbria, with a tributary bordering Lazio, Lake Piediluco, although 1.85 km² wide, is the largest natural lake basin in the region after Lake Trasimeno. Its name seems to be interpreted as "at the foot of the sacred grove." Together with Lakes Lungo, Ripasottile, and Ventina, located in the province of Rieti, it represents one of the remains of the ancient Lacus Velinus, a large basin of alluvial origin formed starting in the Quaternary period. The irregularly shaped lake, with a circumference of approximately 13 kilometers, is located at an altitude of 375 meters and has a maximum depth of approximately 19 meters. Its natural tributary is the Fuscello stream; the other two tributaries are represented by artificial canals. One connects it to the Velino River, while the other, 42 kilometers long, consists almost entirely of tunnels and diverts part of the waters of the Nera River into the lake. The inflow and outflow of water is entirely tailored to the energy needs of the industry in nearby Terni. The emissary, the Velino River, is diverted towards Marmoré, where it flows into the Nera River to form the Marmore Waterfall. Text / Source: wikipedia.org https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lago_di_Piediluco

A hamlet of a thousand inhabitants in the municipality of Terni, Piediluco is known for the lake of the same name and is frequented by those visiting the nearby Marmore waterfalls. Of particular charm here is also the Rocca Albornoz, which stands on Monte Luco, abandoned since the end of the 18th century.

The sanctuary of Santa Maria della Foresta is one of the four sanctuaries that celebrate the passage of San Francesco in the Reatina valley. According to some, it was precisely here that the Saint composed the Canticle of the Creatures. In this place there originally stood a small church dedicated to San Fabiano flanked by the priest's house alone. Legend has it that, during the period in which Saint Francis stayed here, many people from Rieti went to visit him, often picking bunches of grapes from the priest's vineyard. When it was time to collect the fruits for the harvest, the priest realized that there was very little left, nevertheless, encouraged by Saint Francis, he collected and harvested what little there was, however obtaining much more wine than in previous years. Of this episode, remembered as the "miracle of wine", traces can still be found inside the sanctuary: in fact, inside the domus there are the remains of a tank for pressing wine dating back to the period of the Saint's life.

It's nice to take a walk along the lakeside, well equipped with areas where you can relax, bars and benches

The sanctuary of Santa Maria della Foresta is one of the four sanctuaries erected by Saint Francis, together with the sanctuary of Fonte Colombo, the sanctuary of Greccio, and the sanctuary of Poggio Bustone. Source: Wikipedia

This is the place where St. Francis created the first crib of the Christian tradition. The Sanctuary stands in an exceptional position, clinging to the rock and with a unique view of the Rieti plain, nearby Greccio and the Terminillo massif. It can be visited every day and is open from 09.00 to 18.00. Whether you are a believer or not, it is highly suggestive to visit this place, especially during the Christmas period.